France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group D football match between France and Denmark at Stadium 974 in Doha on November 26, 2022. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
Doha: Kylian Mbappe fired a brace as reigning champions France became the first side to enter the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 after a 2-1 victory over Denmark in an absorbing Group D clash at the Stadium 974.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker showed his class in the second half after missing an opportunity in the opening session to become France’s second-top scorer in World Cup history with seven goals. Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals for France in a single World Cup edition in 1958, remains highest scorer for the Les Bleus in the global tournament.
Mbappe, who also scored a goal in a 4-1 victory over Australia, broke the stalemate in the 61st minute and slotted in the winner four minutes before time after Denmark equalised through Andreas Christensen in the 68th minute.
France have now won six consecutive World Cup matches, with their second win in Qatar leaving them on top of their group.
“We have achieved our first target,” French coach Didier Deschamps told reporters after the win yesterday.
“This group is strong, solid and wants to do great things. It has already done two great things with these two victories,” he said.
Kasper Hjulmand’s Denmark, who defeated France twice at Nation’s League this year, had a decent start as Christian Eriksen almost found Andreas Cornelius in a good position but French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris cleared the ball.
The defending champions started creating opportunities as veteran forward Olivier Giroud – eyeing a record-breaking 52nd goal for France - failed to connect an Adrien Rabiot cross from a good position.
An attempt by Raphael Varane, who was making a return after being rested following a hamstring injury, was cleared by Joakim Maehle after an Antoine Griezmann’s cross.
Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel made a brilliant save from a Rabiot header following a 40-yard free kick soon after Christensen was cautioned for pulling down Mbappe in the 20th minute.
After Giroud headed wide from an Mbappe cross, the PSG striker skied a brilliant ball from Ousmane Dembele from a good position – perhaps the best opportunity for France to score an opener.
Eriksen shot wide from 30 yards bringing an end to action in the first half that saw the French side taking three shots on target.
Mbappe returned as a bigger threat for the Danes following the break and after a good run he picked Dembele, but Schmeichel blocked the return shot from the Barcelona player.
The 23-year-old succeeded in scoring the opener after a move with Theo Hernandez, finding target with a slight deflection.
Denmark responded soon after Eriksen’s corner with Christensen pulling off an equaliser with a powerful header past Lloris, after getting a flick from Joachim Andersen.
Hjulmand’s side could have taken the lead but Lloris thwarted a Jesper Lindstrom’s touch.
France raised their game in search of a winner and Aurelien Tchouameni’s diving header was almost in before it went wide after taking Joakim Maehle’s touch.
Rabiot also made a spectacular hit but his flying volley just sailed over the bar.
The reigning champions finally got the winner from their best as Mbappe evaded his marker at the back post to get a touch off his thigh from a Griezmann cross to seal the victory.
The PSG star has now equalled Zinedine Zidane’s tally of 31 goals for France – closing in on Giroud and Thiery Henry’s record of 51 goals.
“Kylian is an outstanding player. I’ve already said it several times, he has this ability to be decisive, to make the difference,” said Deschamps.
“Kylian does everything to perform well and that’s what he did in the first two games. It’s good for us.”
Hjulmand, meanwhile, was disappointed with the loss after his team fought back in the match.
“It was the small things again,” Hjulmand told Denmark’s TV2.
“We had hoped that we could close it out, it was like the game had gone a little bit cold, but it was simply small things.”
Winless Denmark are now in a must-win situation in their last game against Australia, who defeated Tunisia yesterday.
But a victory in the match would also not guarantee them a place in last 16 if Tunisia pull off an upset over France, with both the games scheduled to be played on Wednesday.
